golf tournament

It has been 52 hours since I slept in a bed. We continued our day after the Brazil soccer game by playing in a golf tournament. There were 34 of Ponsak's friends who get together 6-8 times per year to form a tournament. I was the only non-Thai in the group. My Thai is limited but enough to get by and humor the locals. I would say I know 100-150 words and phrases that can get me what I want or need. By attempting to speak the language, it grants you acceptance and a willingness from Thai's to help you. I think they enjoy getting a chuckle when I stumble with their language. I found it odd today that the Thai language does not have a phrase that says "good shot". I told one of my golfing buddies, Changluk that I want my caddie to say "good shot" after I have a good shot. He said they do not have that phrase, so the rest of the round, when I had a good shot, my caddie said, "good shot" in English. Our group of four finished with a score of 12 under par. I actually had four birdies to help our team finish second. The winning team finished at 13 under par! Thailand is not fond of America right now because Obama is telling the Thai people to listen to their government and vote for a new leader. The corruption that exists in Thailand and their current prime minister would only lead to his re-election. The military, lead by a coup, is now ruling the government to avoid chaos and bloody demonstrations. The last three prime ministers came into power as regular citizens and left as billionaires. Corruption exists throughout all phases of life in Thailand. My friend's daughter ran a red light. The police stopped her and she asked the officer if she gave him 1000 baht can she go. He took the 30 dollars and she was free to go. There was a curfew in place from 10pm to 5am but it is now from 12 midnight to 4am. Things seem to be quite normal and there is little disruption with day to day life. Foreigners are advised to stay away from an demonstrations and not to flaunt being an American. I am Austrian on this trip.(my nationality)). Sightseeing, shopping and dining out are just around the corner. I included a few pictures from the golf course. I had my caddie take several pictures of our group and not one of them came out. She hit the power button rather than snapping a picture. It must have been a communication break-down. Ponsak is shown in one of the pictures being fanned by his caddie in 90 degree temperatures. She continued this for him throughout his round. You don't only get a caddie but you also have a servant for 18 holes of golf. They hold an umbrella over you the entire round to keep you out of the sun. They clean and mark your ball. After each shot, they clean your club. At the end of your round they massage your feet and clean your golfing cleats. There is a tip involved in this all costing a golfer 8 U.S.dollars. Good deal. After our round of golf we showered and ate at the golf course restaurant. Three course meal cost 11 dollars. Food is the one bargain that is beyond compare any place in the world. Time to get some rest and settle my stomach. Laa Gaawn(good-bye in Thai).

The fruit is called Mangosteen. It is delicious. You cut it open and eat the white center.